Batty Ombre

Paper wings propped up by chopsticks or skewers can give your pumpkin the appearance of taking off. To get the multicolored paint job, strategically blend white, orange and magenta paint, adding more saturation from top to bottom.

Black Cat

Don't worry about painting outside of the lines. Fashion feline features from blue painter's tape and adhere to an orange pumpkin before giving it a once-over with black acrylic paint. Once it's dry, remove the stencils for one cute cat.

Swarm of Bats

Here's a batty idea: After painting your pumpkin, tie a loose knot in the middle of a four-inch piece of black satin ribbon, then cut the ends to resemble wings. Attach to a color-blocked gourd with sewing pins.

Flower Sash

After spray painting your gourd the prettiest pink, create a sash with fresh blooms. Snip stems about one to two inches from buds, drill small holes in the painted rind, then stick stems in holes. GH Lab tip: Extend flowers' lives by periodically spritzing with water.

Glowing Pumpkins

If you prefer your Halloween decor to skew more silly than scary, this glow-in-the-dark paint will do the trick. Guests will actually want to approach your doorstep, instead of being freaked out by it.